YORKSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SECTION NEWSLETTER 98 AUTUMN 2016 (website edition - this edition is incomplete as some items/illustrations from the original newsletter are not available electronically)

EDITORIAL

Welcome to the 2016/7 season and another Newsletter and I hope you have all had an interesting and enjoyable summer which seems to have passed so quickly. I have just returned from the Association for Industrial Archaeology’s Conference based in Telford, it was an enjoyable and interesting time with good weather and I will be providing a report for the next Newsletter. For information the 2017 AIA conference will be based at Moulton College in Northamptonshire on 25-30 August and focus on the IA of the South East Midlands including railways, and aircraft, milling and the boot & shoe industry amongst other things, look out for more details later.

Details of the 2016/7 lecture programme are enclosed with the Newsletter and are also available online via the main Society website in case you lose your paper copy and I hope that you will be able to attend at least some of the interesting lectures that Jane Ellis has arranged for us this season. Jane has also been appointed as the Excursions Secretary for the main Society and is already busy arranging a programme of events which will be advertised on the website. Also enclosed are the minutes of the 2016 AGM held in April, if any member who attended has any corrections to the minutes please let me know before the 2017 AGM.

Main YAHS members should have received the printed Programme of Events for 2016/7 now and I hope you have noted that clarification has been given about the ability to attend other sections’ lectures if you are not a member of that section. Members of other YAHS sections, YAHS only members and YAHS affiliate members are welcome to attend lectures arranged by sections to which they do not belong, but a small donation may be required for each occasional attendance. In the case of the IHS, this will be £2. For section only members (and those who mislay their printed copy) event details are also available online via the YAHS website.

It is good to know that Julie Duckworth who spoke to the Section in the last lecture programme about her work in renovating the Lowther Hotel and other properties in Goole has been shortlisted for Historic England’s Angel awards, you can vote for her online on the Historic England website until 12 October (see below in the News section). More good news with the establishment of a Yorkshire Branch of the Newcomen Society, although called South Yorkshire, the meetings are open to all and are free – more details given below.

By the time you read this, the section visit to Lawnswood Cemetary would have taken place, unfortunately I was unable to make it but I understand that those attending found it very interesting, a report will be provided for the next Newsletter. On our visit to Goole on 22 September we will be joined by members of the main Society and I hope there will be a good turnout with good weather.

Ex Section member David George is still in regular correspondence with me and has sent a contribution for this Newsletter. A reminder that contributions from members are always very welcome, perhaps a report of a visit or a recommendation for one, or like David’s contribution some thoughts and reflections on a re-visit.

Unfortunately there are no new members to report since the last Newsletter. An updated YAHS publicity leaflet is available from Claremont if you are passing when the building is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday if members wish to obtain copies for friends and family. Information about joining is available on the Society website.

I shall be producing the next newsletter in late January 2017, so please let me have any contributions as soon as you can and by 17 January and I look forward to meeting many of you at our first lecture on 15 October at the Swarthmore Centre Margaret Tylee

MAIN SOCIETY NEWS

The 2016 YAHS AGM was held on 20 August. In her opening remarks, President Gill Cookson reported that YAHS publications were now being handled by D&M Heritage of Huddersfield and plans were well advanced for the digitisation of back copies of the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. She recognised that the administration of the Society needs updating and called for more help in the running of the Society. We are still looking for a new Hon Treasurer, although Dr Brian Barber, the current postholder, has kindly but reluctantly agreed to carry on until a replacement can be found. We also need someone to take responsibility for the website content and the production of regular newsletters both electronic and printed for members. If you think you can help in any way please contact David Buck, Hon YAHS Secretary. The Treasurer reported that the accounts for 2015 had shown an overall deficit of approx. £50k but this was partly due to one off expenditures associated with the move of the Collections to the Brotherton Library and the planned sale of Claremont. There were also no significant sums left as legacies during 2015. He was confident that with the planned sale of Claremont and reduced running costs, the Society will be in good financial position going forward. Positive news was that the YAHS archives are now fully accessible and can be searched online. I was elected to the Management Board following my nomination as the rep from the Industrial History Section and will be providing updates from the Board in future Newsletters, please let me know if there are issues concerning the Society that you would like me to raise.

Members may be aware that Claremont is still in use as the Society’s HQ and administrative office, it is also used for committee meetings. The sale of the building is proceeding very slowly and at time of writing planning permission for its conversion into a large number of residential units is still awaited. It feels (and is) very empty and rather sad when I go there for meetings but hopefully there will be something positive to report by the next Newsletter.

It was reported at the AGM that the Society Promotion Group is actively pursuing the provision of a new website. The Management Board had previously agreed that in order to move quickly on this, external paid help would be required. A specification has been sent to a number of professional web developers for proposals to be assessed by a panel of Society representatives in late September/early October. It is hoped to be able to report on progress by the time of the first lecture.

OTHER NEWS ITEMS

The Newcomen Society has established a new branch for South Yorkshire and a branch committee has been set up with Section member John Suter responsible for publicity and membership. The inaugural meeting and launch event of the branch will be held on 23 January 2017 starting at 6.30pm at the Kelham Island Industrial Museum, Sheffield. All meetings will be free and open to all, details of the early half of the programme are given below. Although called the South Yorkshire Branch, attendees are welcome from across Yorkshire. The Newcomen Society was formed in 1920 as a learned society for the history of engineering and technology and has published over 1,000 papers creating a valuable resource for research. Membership allows free downloadable access to this information but all are welcome to attend lectures. See website www.newcomen.com for more information.

On 30 June 2016 Historic England published a report calling for more developers and owners to take on the regeneration of mills. The 84pp report “Engines of Prosperity: new uses for old mills” can be downloaded (3.38MB) from Historic England’s website. The report outlines the results of a study set up by Historic England to review and develop best practice in the regeneration of West Riding textile mills. It notes that over 1,000 of the region’s textile mills are either vacant or underused and regeneration could create 27,000 homes or 150,000 jobs. There are case studies of six successful mill regeneration projects; one of these is Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley visited by the Section in May 2014 which closed as a mill in 2008 after 180 years of production. Regeneration started in 2010, over £4m was invested by the joint managing directors William and John Gaunt and it is now home to 60 business spaces and runs as a self-financing enterprise. The potential for a further eight mills which are currently underused or vacant is explored, these include Dalton Mills, (also visited by the Section), Prospect Mill, Thornton and Drummond Mill, Manningham, . For the last example it is now too late since the 1861 mill burnt down on 28 January 2016 and has been demolished.

The latest issue of Forum, the Journal of CBA Yorkshire (Vol 4 2015) includes a couple of short reports for those interested in industrial history. On pp 25-28, there is an article by Andy Sherman describing the work of CITIZAN (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network) in Yorkshire. Auburn Sands, Bridlington contains the remains some of the best anti-invasion defences in Britain from both the First and Second World wars, including pillboxes, anti- tank cubes and anti-glider posts. The coastal defences are suffering from erosion and are being surveyed and recorded by CITIZAN. There are also plans to record the remains of Earle’s Shipyard on the edge of the former Victoria Docks on the River Humber.

Recent work in Yorkshire carried out by John Buglass Archaeological Services and reported in Forum include surveys at Ryburn Reservoir near Ripponden where the site of a former cotton mill at Hazelgrove was discovered and archaeological recording and archive research at Breary Bank Weir, Gollinglith, North Yorkshire which revealed the remains of a small waterwheel dating from the early 20th century still with its bearings intact.

NAMHO, the National Association of Mining History Organisations is holding a conference 25/26 June 2017 in Godstone, Surrey on achievements and challenges for mining history. The organiser is looking for presentations which feature mining history projects either in progress, completed or being planned and covering the issues involved and tackled and the benefits achieved or planned. Presentations should last 40-60 minutes allowing for questions. If anyone can help or needs further information please contact Peter Burgess.

The Marsden Mechanics Hall a grade II listed building situated in the centre of Marsden opened in 1861, at a cost of £2,500 to build, as an educational institute for local mill workers. By the late 1970s it was in a poor condition and was threatened with demolition, but managed to survive until a few years ago when Kirklees Council announced that it would no longer to be able to find the money to maintain it. The Marsden Community Trust was set up in 2014 to enable funds to be raised with the aim of taking over the building as a community resource and the good news is that in July 2016, the Council agreed to its handover.

More good news to report is that on 3 August Calderdale Council and the Calderdale industrial Museum Association (CIMA) signed the licence for CIMA to operate the Museum and the keys were handed over on 4 August. The Museum was due to be open to the public on Heritage Open Day weekend 10/11 September and watch out for future openings.

Voting for the 2016 Angel awards is now open via the Historic England website ( www.historicengland.org.uk and follow the link )where you can read all about the awards and who has been shortlisted in each of the four categories. This year none of the categories are specifically for industrial sites but two of the shortlisted entries have links to industry. 13 year old William Fakes has been shortlisted in the Best Contribution to a Heritage Project by Young People category for his work as a prominent member of the Young Archaeologists Club and his involvement in the Parks for People project which aimed to restore and reinstate the Victorian features in Middleton Park, and interpret its industrial heritage features. In the Best Rescue of a Heritage Site category, Julie & Howard Duckworth have been shortlisted for their work in the restoration of Aire Street, Goole including the historic Lowther Hotel, which Julie spoke to the Section about in March and which members will have a chance to see on the 22 September excursion to Goole. Unfortunately you are only allowed one vote from all the entries and the closing date is 12 October 2016.

Braves’ Hall, Roper Street, Hull is a four storey iron framed former warehouse built on the 1850s to serve the nearby Princes Dock, the frames were manufactured by Wright & Sons, Hull. It is a fine example of a Victorian iron framed building and was locally listed by Hull Council. It is therefore disappointing to read that in July the Council approved a planning application to demolish it for a car park as part of the regeneration plans for this area of Hull. The building had an interesting history being taken over in the 1920s by the Hull Braves’ Guild for Brave Poor Things, a charity formed in 1896 to help disabled children. Latterly it had been used as a gym. Objections have been raised but an application for national listing was rejected by Historic England and the building may already have been demolished.

YORKSHIRE INDUSTRIAL HISTORY ONLINE (YIHO)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

2016 22 Sept Goole Architectural. Historical & Marine Art Trail. Industrial History Section visit organised by Jane Ellis. Meet 11am at Estcourt Terrace entrance to Goole Market Hall. Free long stay carpark on Estcourt Terrace DN14 5AQ. Lunch will be taken at the 1825 Lowther Hotel. Contact Jane Ellis.

28 Sept Brewery, Mills & Railway. Calderdale Heritage walk looking at the changing face of the Hebble valley where industry and transport have been replaced by leisure and residential development. Strong shoes needed as there are uneven surfaces and one steep climb. Meet Iain Cameron at 2.15pm junction of Brackenbed Lane and Hebble Lane, Wheatley, walk will last nearly 3 hours. Cost £3 per head. More information about the walks at www.calderdaleheritagewalks.org.uk

30 Sept Speaking Up for the Past. Conference organised by the South Trafford Archaeological Group and CBA NW IA Panel examining the current challenges to the Industrial & Historic environment. Speakers from Historic England, HLF, Salford Archaeology and others. Altrincham Town Hall, Market Street, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1PG 10am-4pm. Cost £10 booking to Jane Darwin.

1O Oct South Yorkshire Railway Scene in the 1960s & 70s. – Graham Hague. Railway & Historical Society North East Group(RCHS) talk. Council Room, Railway Institute, York. 2pm Details from Brian Freeborn.

12 Oct The National Coal Mining Museum for England: the first 30 years – Dr Margaret Faull. Wakefield Historical Society talk. Chantry Chapel, Wakefield Bridge. 7.30pm. Details from Dr Phil Judkins.

6 Oct Wortley to Penistone. RCHS 6 mile linear walk led by Graham Hague & Peter Martin. Meet Sheffield interchange stand B3 at 10.20 to catch 10.31 bus 29 to Wortley Church to follow the route of the MS&LR to Penistone. Return by train from Penistone. Bring packed lunch. Details from Graham Hague.

15 Oct Bradford in its Heyday-the late 19th century. Bradford Historical & Antiquarian Society Day School. Bradford Club, Piece Hall Yard, Bradford. 9.30am-4.30pm. Includes talks on textiles and railways. Cost £25 includes morning and afternoon refreshments and buffet lunch. Booking forms from David Glass.

22 Oct Malham: a Township in the 18th century. – Dr Richard Hoyle. YAHS Collections lecture. 11am Brotherton Library, University of Leeds.

23 Oct Hove Edge. Calderdale Heritage walk featuring a private railway system, clothiers, stone mines and a former tripe factory plus more. Meet David Nortcliffe at 2.25pm by the Dusty Miller pub on A644 in Hove Edge. Cost £3 per head. More information about the walks at www.calderdaleheritagewalks.org.uk

29 Oct Rotherham Heritage Fair. Rotherham Minster 10am – 3pm

5 Nov Cromford Canal – Hugh Potter. RCHS talk. Council Room, Railway Institute, York. 2pm. Details from Brian Freeborn.

9 Nov The Story of the Bradford Canal (Part 1) – John Allison. Bradford Historical & Antiquarian Society talk. The Bradford Club, Piece Hall Yard, Bradford BD1 1RJ. 10.30am. (Part 2 will be given 8 March 2017)

17 Nov Trouble at t’ Mill: West House Mill, Blubberhouses – Mike Dixon. Olicana Historical Society lecture joint with the Friends of the Manor House. Part of the Arts Festival. The Sanctuary, Christchurch, Grove Road, Ilkley. 7.30pm. Details from John Cruse. 19 Nov South Yorkshire Archaeology Day. 10am-4.30pm. Showroom Cinema, Paternoster Row, Sheffield. The annual event organised by the South Yorkshire Archaeology Service highlighting archaeological and historical research taking place in South Yorkshire. Fee £12.50, concessions £6.50 Advance booking strongly recommended. Details from David Marsh. Booking forms can be downloaded from www.sheffield.gov.uk/syas.

21 Nov James Brindley (1716-1772), canal pioneer – Christine Richardson. South Yorkshire Industrial History Society (SYIHS) talk. Kelham Island Museum 7.30pm. Cost £2 for non SYIHS members. Contact Derek Bayliss.

26 Nov Queen’s Mill Open Day. Aire Street, Castleford, WF10 1JL. 10am-3pm. Contact Castleford Heritage Trust.

28 Nov Trouble at mill – the story of the 1826 loom weavers’ riots in , Bradford and Gargrave – Dr George Ingle. Upper Heritage Group talk. Soroptomist Rooms, 28 Otley Road, . 7.30pm. £3 for non UWHG members. Details from Vera Brearey.

28 Nov A brief account of RAF Wortley World War 2 Reserve Ammunition Depot – Duncan Simpson. SYIHS talk. Salem Wesleyan Reform Church, Blucher Street, off Pitt Street, Barnsley. Cost £2 for non SYIHS members. Contact Derek Bayliss..

3 Dec Edward Fletcher (1807-1889) 1st locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway. – Andrew Everett. RCHS talk. Details as for 1 Oct.

8 Dec Eastby Mill and the story of a photograph – David Turner. Skipton & Craven Historical Society talk. Swadford Centre, Swadford Street, Skipton. 7.30pm. £2 for non SCHS members. Contact Dr Kenneth Jackson.

11 Dec Christmas at Wortley Top Forge with waterwheels, steam engines and miniature railway. Forge Lane, Thurgoland S35 7DN. 11am – 4pm. Admission charge.

12 Dec Ganister, the forgotten industry – Graham Shepherd. SYIHS talk. Details as for 21 Nov.

2017 7 Jan Derwent Valley Light Railway – Jonathan Stockwell. RCHS talk. Details as for 1 Oct.

16 Jan Scissors – handmade in Sheffield- Nick Wright (managing director, Ernest Wright & Son) SYIHS talk. Details as for 21 Nov.

23 Jan Frank Hornby and Mechanical Toys: Britain, Germany and the USA 1880-1950 –Deborah Jaffe. Inaugural lecture of the South Yorkshire Branch of the Newcomen Society. Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield. 6.30pm. Contact John Suter.

15 Feb James Brindley: the first canal engineer – Roy Murphy. East Riding Archaeological & History Society talk. Room LT!, Floor 1, Wilberforce Building, University of Hull. 7.30pm. Details Richard Coates

18 Feb A Historical Exploration of the Dearne & Dove Canal – Graham Hague. SYIHS joint lecture with Rotherham & District Local History Society. St Paul’s Church, Kimberworth Road, Rotherham. 10.30am. Details from Derek Bayliss.

20 Feb The Cutler’ Company & the Assay Office: Sheffield’s two unique companies. – Christopher Jewitt. SYIHS lecture. Details as for 21 Nov.

21 Feb The Brunels’ Thames Tunnel: a great legacy to modern tunnelling – Professor Lord Mair. 26th Dr Kenneth Barraclough Memorial Lecture. Joint SYIHS/Newcomen Society/Sheffield Metallurgical & Engineering Association Lecture. 5.30pm for 6pm Holiday Inn Royal Victoria Hotel, Sheffield. Details from Derek Bayliss/ John Suter

REPORTS OF EVENTS/VISITS

Industrial History Section visit to Queen’s Mill, Castleford 26 May 2016

On a rather wet day, IHS members and friends met at Queen’s Mill, Aire Street, Castleford for a talk and tour given by members of the Castleford Heritage Trust. I remembered the mill when it was part of the ADM milling group producing Allison’s flour as I often drove past it seeing lorries unloading material on one of my many ways to get to work. A member of the Trust gave us a talk outlining the history of the mill whose site as a water mill can be traced back to 1093 owned by Robert de Lacy, Lord of Pontefract Castle. By 1362 Henry de Lacy owned two watermills and a fulling mill at Castleford. In 1425 the fulling mill was rented out for 40 shillings a year but the tenant had to pay for all repairs to the mill and machinery. There was a record in 1701 for repairs to the mill which included £24 for two pairs of stones and £7.5s.6d for a new waterwheel and in 1740 the timber buildings were replaced by a brick and stone structure. In 1782 the mills on both sides of the were bought by the Aire & Calder Navigation Company from Thomas Bland for £7,000 and by 1816 there were two separate mills occupying the same building, one producing flour and the other grinding flint and bone for the Castleford Pottery – I wondered if the two ever got mixed up! In 1887 it was named Queen’s Mill in honour of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee and in 1892 it was the first building in Castleford to have electric lighting.

In 1896 it was owned by Harry Goodall & Co. who set up a company called Triticine to market a fortified wheat product advertised as a cure for all ailments, unfortunately this did not prove successful and following a major fire in 1897 which gutted most of the older parts of the building the company was wound up. The next major event took place in 1921 when it was bought by Thomas Allinson & Co. to produce their famous flour “wi’ nowt taken out”. At one time the mill was the largest stone grinding flour mill in the world with 20 pairs of stones. The waterwheel was decommissioned in 1970 and after a number of mergers, the then owners ADM Milling closed the mill in 2010. However the good news was that in 2013 it was bought by the Castlefield Heritage Trust who started producing stoneground flour on a small scale in 2015.

We were then taken on a tour of the building. We were also shown the waterwheel decommissioned in situ in 1970 which seemed in a reasonably good condition. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any moving machinery on the day, but the Trust do hold a number of open days, the next one scheduled for 26 November. Following an excellent lunch in the small café, there was an opportunity to purchase some Queen’s Mill stoneground flour.

Thanks to Robert Vickers for organising a fascinating trip and to the enthusiastic band of volunteers now running the mill. For more information about the Castleford Heritage trust visit their website wwwcastlefordheritagetrust.org.uk

Margaret Tylee

Ecton Mines. Visit by Hunter Archaeological Society 6 August 2016

13 members of the Hunter Archaeological Society met our guide for the day John Barnatt at 10.30am for a day visit to the Ecton Mines. John is a senior archaeologist with the Peak District National Park and the author of a fairly recent book on the mines (details below). The mining area around Ecton Hill, near Warslow in the Staffordshire side of the Peak District National Park is a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a scheduled monument. The underground Ecton Mines are also an SSSI. The meeting place (SK 096 582) was the site of a loading platform for an old creamery which used the nearby Leek & Manifold Light Railway to transport its products. John gave an introduction to the site, the mines had been worked for copper and some lead and zinc since the Bronze Ages until finally closing in 1891, giving 4,000 years of industrial activity. Owned by the Dukes of Devonshire in the 18th and 19th centuries, the 18th Duke made a profit of £300,000 and paid for the development of Chatsworth, The Crescent and the circular Riding Stables in Buxton. The main mines were Deep Ecton and Clayton with several levels. The workings eventually extended to 100ft below the level of the River Manifold. Money was spent in trying to find additional mineral veins, known locally as pipes but without success which resulted in closure in 1891.

The first stage of the walk took us up to the old dressing floor across heaps of limestone spoil. Ore was stored in a large stone structure (see illustration) before being shovelled out to the dressing floor to be processed using water delivered in long leats from nearby streams. The machinery was powered by a small steam engine of which there were no remains. The building had been recently restored and looked very impressive. After examining where the circular buddles and other processing equipment had been situated, John pointed out the mine manager’s house with its impressive copper spired roof and gothic windows, now been restored by the present owner from a near derelict state and said to be haunted. We then moved higher up the hill to the visitor centre run by the Ecton Mine Educational Trust who own the mines where we were kitted up with helmets and lights to explore Salts level. This was a fairly easy walk for those below about 5ft in height and is was interesting to see a well preserved set of stone sleepers which originally held L shaped iron rails for the ore trucks to be pushed along. We saw several passages dug by hand to look for the ore bearing rocks, two very deep shafts and evidence of the mineral veins. This was followed by lunch taken outside in warm sunshine before walking up the steepest part of the hill to the restored Engine House for the 1788 Boulton & Watt steam engine. The engine was commissioned by the Duke of Devonshire to lift the ore from one of the deep shafts that we had seen when below, it is believed to be the oldest mine winding engine house ( as opposed to a pumping engine) in the world. The building was recognised by English Heritage (as it was then) as being “at risk” but was bought by the National Trust who have repaired it and installed a replica flywheel and information panels. Before the steam engine was installed, ore was lifted using a horse gin and the site of this could be seen. John also explained that there had been a succession of boilers which had resulted in complicated arrangements for the flues and an extra chimney. Once at the surface, the ore was moved using gravity to the dressing floor below, this somewhat odd arrangement was forced on the owners as a result of the topography of the site. Some of the party had walked higher up to the top of the hill to view other earthworks and mining remains, but due to having had a fall earlier in the day, causing bruising to my leg, I decided against this.

It was a very interesting day, our guide was clearly an expert providing a lot of detail about the history of the mining activity, drawing on archive sources and his own surveying. His book is called “Delving ever Deeper: the Ecton Mines through Time” published 2013 by the Peak District National Park Authority 367pp ISBN 978-0- 901428-26-4. Available from the Peak District Mining Museum, Matlock Bath £21 (p&p £5.50)

Margaret Tylee

Dean Clough Mills, Halifax Revisited

Recently ex Section member David George revisited Dean Clough Mills in Halifax and has sent his thoughts below. Briefly some background information. In 1822 John Crossley rented a small three storey mill in Dean Clough which was developed to become the largest carpet factory in the world. The company reached its employment peak around 1900 when there were around 5,000 on the payroll and it wasn’t until 1974 that numbers fell below 2,000. Trading became more difficult in the face of foreign competition and the complex closed in 1982, the buildings falling into disrepair. The 20 acre site which included the Bowling Dyke Mill built by Edward Akroyd was put up for sale and many assumed that it would be demolished for the value of the stone and redeveloped. The new owner was a company set up by Jonathan Silver and Earnest Hall who were interested in retaining the impressive buildings and developing the site for arts and educational activities. The ventures that were encouraged to use the site were required to work commercially without a dependence on public money. The F Mill was refurbished in 2000 at a cost of £7million and recently the Bowling Mill Yard situated between D Mill and Bowling Mill has been remodelled to create a recreational area. Dean Clough hosts around 140 companies who between them employ approx. 4,000 people. Clients include banks, recruitment agencies, media, training centres and digital enterprises – a far cry from carpet manufacture!

David writes My previous visits to Dean Clough had been with Ron Fitzgerald to examine the internal frame of the buildings. On this occasion I took in the whole panorama including the mill yard and the ancillary buildings. Most of these are in the same stone work as the mills, but there are some incongruous structures such as the split level concrete car park and an old garage or car showroom in brick and corrugated iron. Entry is gained at a reception area where the information desk, shop and gallery are situated. Here also in a basement is the one remaining cafe, two restaurants having been closed recently. In this part of the mills it is possible to see that not all the internal framework is fireproof as there are cast iron columns with wide brackets supporting wooden beams. The public areas were very quiet when I was there on a Wednesday afternoon. One has the feeling that the site is rather remote for most Halifaxordians and that the amenities are patronised by those who work there. I wonder if there is a need for a shuttle bus from the town centre or perhaps regular guided tours? Halifax businesses are currently going through a bid process rather similar to the former Challenge and other former government initiatives whereby proposal for restoration or improvements are funded from a central fund, this time levied from the business rates. I was tempted to invent a business and fill in one of the questionnaires!

Work on the Peace Hall seems to be dragging on for ages and the Tourist Information Office is temporarily housed in the Library which is closed on Wednesdays. The good news is that the Square Chapel is adding a new Arts building and the Industrial Museum is open on Heritage Open Days.

David George MRIAS

INDUSTRIAL HISTORY SECTION OFFICERS 2016/2017

Chair & Newsletter Editor Vice-Chair and Membership Lecture Secretary Secretary Margaret Tylee Robert Vickers Jane Ellis